It was reported in IRAS’ website on 3 August 2018 that Lim
Mei Lee, who is a sole proprietor of Wahla Balloon, has been convicted and sentenced for abusing the Productivity and Innovation Credit (“PIC“) scheme by giving false information to illegally obtain PIC cash payouts and bonuses for Wahla Balloon.
Investigations by IRAS revealed that Lim gave false information to the Comptroller of Income Tax (“CIT“) by stating in Wahla Balloon’s PIC application forms that the business had incurred qualifying PIC expenditure when no such expenditure had been incurred.
The forms were submitted between November 2013 to July 2014 to claim $11,953.80 in PIC cash payouts and $13,269 in PIC bonuses for the purported expenditure of $19,923 to purchase items such as balloon inflators and to attend balloon making workshops.
Lim thus committed an offense by giving false information to illegally obtain PIC cash payouts and bonuses that she was not entitled to.
Lim faced a total of 8 charges of giving false information to the CIT to illegally obtain PIC cash payouts and bonuses. She pleaded guilty to 3 proceeded charges, involving a total amount of PIC cash payouts and bonuses of $13,204.60, with the other 5 remaining charges being taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing. The Court ordered Lim to pay a fine of $9,000 and a penalty of $26,409.20, 2X the amount of cash payouts and bonuses illegally obtained, and sentenced her to 23 weeks’ imprisonment in default of payment.
